Quietside, Grande Drill At Sleepy Keeneland As Busy Churchill Ramps Up

[Wandering Eyes]

Oaks hopeful Quietside (Malibu Moon), the winner last out of the GII Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn for trainer John Ortiz, and Derby bound Grande (Curlin), who was the runner-up in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes at the Big A, put in their final works at sleepy Keeneland on Friday. Meanwhile under the Twin Spires, a bevy of workers continued to make their preparations for next week's big races.

Away from the hubbub of Churchill Downs, Ortiz's plan all along was to keep the 'TDN Rising Star' and Shortleaf homebred at Keeneland, which is near his home in Versailles.

The filly was on track at 7:30 a.m. ET after the first renovation and before a quick storm turned the surface from fast to sloppy, Quietside was clocked in :48.20 for the half-mile with her Oaks jockey, Jose Ortiz, in the saddle. The local clockers reported her fractions as :12.20, :23.80 and :36.40 and a gallop out of 1:00 and “a tick” for 5 furlongs.

“Jose and I had a plan to give her just a half-mile and easy gallop out just to keep her on her toes from here on out,” Ortiz said. “She worked perfectly. It looks like she is ready.”

After her final Keeneland drill, the Fantasy winner was loaded into a trailer for the trip to Louisville along with stable pony Barber Road (Race Day), who knows a thing or two about where they are headed.

Quietside in the van and making her way to @ChurchillDowns on the road to the Kentucky Oaks

She couldn't travel without her coach Barber Road. #TeamQuietside

Edit: @kortiz428 pic.twitter.com/glW8i32MnM

— ORTIZ RACING STABLES (@johnnyortiz24) April 25, 2025

As for Grande, Pletcher's plan was to give Repole Stable's Grande his final tune-up at Keeneland for the Derby. With rain in the forecast for several days, the Hall of Famer has had his eye on the weather and opted for Friday at 7:30 a.m. ET to capitalize on the freshly groomed track immediately after the first renovation period.

“My instinct told me to bring him to Keeneland,” Pletcher said. “I thought we would have a more reliable surface. As it turns out, the track was muddy and sealed today at Churchill. With more rain in the forecast, I thought this was a safer play.”

With John Velazquez in the saddle and working in company with 3-year-old maiden winner Valentinian (Into Mischief), Grande completed five furlongs in 1:01 over a fast track moments before a heavy downpour turned the track sloppy. The colt's fractions were :13, :25, :37.20 and :49 with a gallop out for 6 furlongs in 1:13.40, according to the clockers.

 

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